1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bra covers and more particularly to reusable adhesively attached breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres.
2. Background Art
Since the advent of women's garments having plunging necklines and backless tops, women have started to wear backless and strapless brassieres, cups or nipple covers, to present an attractive image, while showing modesty and still projecting an enticing, revealing image. Most of these covers are adhesively secured to the skin of the user, such as by strips of double-sided adhesive or a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. Some of these layers of adhesive are reusable. However, the adhesive also adheres to the sensitive nipple area of the breast, and it is painful when the cup is removed from the breast. The surface of the adhesive layer also accumulates lint, sweat, lotion, etc. and loses its adhesiveness. Attempts to wash the brassiere or cup in water with detergent often result in the tackiness of the adhesive decreasing each time the brassiere or cup is washed, such that after a few washings, the adhesive layer no longer sticks to the skin of the user.
There is thus a need for breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres having reusable adhesives that can adhere to a user's breasts numerous times, retain adhesive properties, especially after being worn and washed a number of times, and be absent of adhesive in the sensitive nipple area of most users. The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should be comfortable safe to wear, easy to store, and capable of being placed on and removed from the user's breasts numerous times easily and conveniently.
The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should provide and facilitate a woman's ability to look, feel, have lift, provide cleavage, and support to her breasts, based on her own desires and needs, be usable in a variety of situations and social occasions, be capable of being adapted to enhance the user's breasts, provide additional support and lift, and additional cleavage, as needed and desired by the user, while having a natural appearance, resilience, and appeal comparable to that of the user's breasts. The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should be comfortable, attractive, easy to put on and remove from the user's breasts, long lasting, durable, inexpensive, quick, easy, and convenient to apply and remove from the user's breasts, easy and convenient to store when not in use, and of simple construction.
Different breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres have heretofore been known. However, none of the breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.                U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,831 (Dodge) discloses a strapless swimsuit top and method of donning same. The strapless swimsuit top comprises waterproof adhesive attached to a fabric cup sized and shaped to admit a female breast. The waterproof adhesive co-extends with the fabric except in an adhesive-free nipple area. An adhesive backing sheet co-extends with the adhesive and protects the adhesive until such time as the strapless swimsuit top is to be installed. Steps of donning the strapless swimsuit top include removing the adhesive backing sheet, sliding a strapless swimsuit top lower edge upwards over a thorax towards a breast lower surface, positioning the strapless swimsuit top lower edge at an intersection of the thorax and breast lower surface such that the adhesive-free nipple area is directly below a nipple, and a sufficient distance away from the nipple that when the strapless swimsuit top is rolled up over the breast, the adhesive-free nipple area will coextend with the nipple; rolling the strapless swimsuit top up over the breast, taking care to ensure that the nipple is covered by the adhesive-free nipple area, whereby contact between said waterproof adhesive is avoided, thereby preventing chafing and irritation of the nipple.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,577 (Coburn) discloses a disposable breast pad, which comprises a circular body having a surface profile adapted to conform to the contour of the female breast. A portion of the circular body is cut out and removed to form an opening in the circular body. An insert is provided to cover the opening. The insert is attached to the circular body, is made of mesh material, has elastic strands sewn therein, and allows the pad to expand, if necessary, thereby ensuring a comfortable fit for breasts of different sizes and shapes. A pressure sensitive skin safe adhesive is used to secure the pad directly to the breast.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,471 (Nakai) discloses a disc-shaped nipple cover that has a flexible paper backing sheet covered with pressure sensitive adhesive and a centrally disposed soft felt pad. Release paper coverings protect the nipple cover until removal prior to usage.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,288 (Hattori) discloses an adhesive pad for use on human body, which is particularly suitable for women's use as a nipple cover or protector for afflicted portions, such as the heel suffering shoe sore. The adhesive pad comprises a flexible sheet of diaphanous plastic material and an adhesive coating formed on the periphery of the underside of the sheet, so as to define inside thereof a non-adhesive and translucent area that is in adhesive-free covering contact with a particular portion on the body to be protected. Accordingly, the portion of the body can be seen through the adhesive pad, so that the pad itself can be undiscerned to present natural appearance of the body, while protecting that portion from being rubbed or injured.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,195 (Furuno, et al.) discloses an adhesive pad and method for its production, including a low irritant adhesive pad that can retain its adhesion for repeated use, and a process for its production. The adhesive pad may be adhered to a human body and comprises a pad body made of silicone rubber, and a silicone gel adhesive layer integrally formed on the pad body to provide an adhesive surface.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,074 (Diaz) discloses a soft, reusable, self-supporting bra, comprised of two independent shaped forms having a plastic foam construction, and formed so as to have the desired shape. The forms may be worn underneath a conventional bra or bathing suit and are washable. Self-adhesive strips are included to hold the bra forms to the wearer. The strips are cut so as to overlay part of the bra, holding the bra forms in place without adhering to the wearer's breast skin.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,935 (Dohan) discloses reusable adhesive body apparel, which includes a decorative component and an adhesive component coupled to the decorative component. The adhesive component is formed of a material that permits the apparel to be reused multiple times. In one configuration, the apparel includes an adhesive tape with a decorative image provided on a non-adhesive surface of the tape, and a gel coupled to the adhesive surface of the tape. In another configuration, the apparel includes a decorative component with an uneven surface topography, and an adhesive gel. The apparel may be used, for example, as a breast cover, a bathing suit, a costume, or a tattoo.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,632 (Axelgaard, et al.) discloses a dermal fastener that includes a first adhesive for adherence to an article and a second adhesive for adherence to skin. The second adhesive is a non-liquid water containing film including an organic polymer plasticized with a polyhydric alcohol with the organic polymer being derived from a monomeric mixture including from about 2 to about 30 pph acrylic acid to about 1 to about 30 pph of a glycolvinylether and about 0.01 to about 1.5 pph of a crosslinking agent. The first and second adhesives may also be disposed on opposite sides of a membrane if partition of fluid components in the adhesives is desired.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,340 (Wen) discloses a brassiere cup, comprising a self-adhesive frustum made of self-adhesive neurost imulation, a self-adhesive cone made of self-adhesive neurost imulation and having a center hole, and a conical cup made of silicon rubber and having an inner side formed with a first annular recess around a circumference of the inner side and configured to receive the self-adhesive frustrum, a second annular recess spaced apart from the first annular recess and configured to receive the self-adhesive cone, and a plurality of protuberances between the first and second annular recesses for massaging breasts, whereby a user can wear strapless dresses or dresses with shoestring straps without worrying about exposure of her nipples.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,611 (Noble, et al.) discloses a self-supporting breast cup, including a soft, natural breast-shape cup portion for receiving a portion of the breast and a flat, peripheral flange portion which may be secured to the body of the wearer immediately beneath the breast by adhesive tape and renewer adhesive to permit the device to be worn repeatedly.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,932 (Chen) discloses a breast form encased with fabric laminated thermoplastic film, which includes a breast form, comprising a flexible chamber formed from a pair of polyurethane sheets that are sealed together along a perimeter edge of the chamber. A volume of silicone gel composition is sealably disposed within the flexible chamber. A fabric material is disposed over and permanently joined to a surface portion of each of the polyurethane sheets. The fabric material forms an exterior surface of the breast form, and is made from a four-way stretchable fabric. A pressure-sensitive adhesive is permanently grown to the fabric layer of the interior surface of the breast form.        U.S. Pat. No. D294,650 (De Beys) discloses an ornamental design for a self-adhesive breast supporting article, and U.S. Pat. No. D485,965 (Slimak, et al.) discloses an ornamental design for an adhesive bra support.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,720 (Chen) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,582,001, 6,780,081, 6,916,224 (Chen, et al.) disclose an attachable breast form enhancement system and a backless strapless bra, each comprising a pair of breast forms adjoined by a connector. The breast forms have an interior surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer that adjoins to the user's breasts. The pressure sensitive adhesive layer can be a permanently grown pressure sensitive adhesive that has an adhesion force to the breast forms that is greater than a cohesion force to the user's breasts. The connector adjoins the separated breast forms by attaching to the inner sides of the breast forms and pulling the user's breasts together.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,164 (Chang) discloses a method for making a breast enhancer, comprising placing a first and second film of thermoplastic material adjacent one another and forming a temporary adhesion seal therebetween. The temporary seal is in the form of a band that defines a perimeter of a bag formed between the two films. A sufficient volume of liquid silicone composition to form the breast enhancer is introduced into the bag, and the air-bubble free filled bag is placed between a top mold and a bottom mold. The top and bottom molds are compressively engaged to encase the filled bag within a mold cavity formed between the mold surfaces. At least a portion of the sealed band is disposed within the mold cavity, and at least a portion of the band is compressed between a seal surface of the top mold and a rim of the bottom mold. The temporary seal is opened to allow the liquid silicone composition to migrate between the films and fill the mold cavity. The liquid silicone composition is cured, and a weld is formed between film portions positioned between the rim and seal surface. The top mold is withdrawn from the bottom mold, the breast enhancer is removed from the bottom mold, excess edges of the films are trimmed off, and the breast enhancer is ready for packaging and shipping.        U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,449 (Morgan), U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,553 (D'Or), U.S. Pat. No. 2,728,079 (Williams), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,672 (Woodley) describe an adhesive brassiere, a disposable brassiere, a breast support, and a nipple pad, respectively, each of which use an adhesive to fasten the respective device or devices to a wearer's skin.        U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,397,391 and 6,257,951 (DeMarco) disclose a reusable backless, strapless, one-piece bra. The bra comprises an underwire, a light-weight aluminum layer and a rubber foam layer, the light weight aluminum layer being positioned between foam rubber layers. The aluminum enables the bra to be molded to fit the contours of each person. The foam is bonded to the skin with double-sided, disposable dermal adhesive tape. The tape is applied horizontally across the bottom of the bra and attached to the rib cage just beneath the breast. A pad may be provided on an inner surface of the bra to give the appearance of enhanced breast size.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,614 (Pinna) discloses a self-sustaining female breast support, formed from a thin, flexible, soft, elongate sheet of shaped profile made from synthetic material, one of its surfaces being at least partly covered by a thin layer of skin-compatible adhesive, on its other surface there resting an elongate sprung bar formed of semi-rigid synthetic material, its two ends being fixed to the flexible sheet, the adhesive layer being made to adhere to the lower part of the breast, which is widened and maintained raised by the action of the sprung bar in the manner of a leaf spring.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,042 (Davis) disclose a strapless swimsuit top and method of donning same and a backless, strapless bra with swivel system, each of which also use an adhesive to fasten the respective device or devices to a wearer's skin. U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,369 (Panighini) discloses a breast supporter, which also adheres to the wearer's skin.        
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres having reusable adhesives that can adhere to a user's breasts numerous times, retain adhesive properties, especially after being worn and washed a number of times, and be absent of adhesive in the sensitive nipple area of most users. The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should be comfortable, safe to wear, easy to store, and capable of being placed on and removed from the user's breasts numerous times easily and conveniently.
The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should provide and facilitate a woman's ability to look, feel, have lift, provide cleavage, and support to her breasts, based on her own desires and needs, be usable in a variety of situations and social occasions, be capable of being adapted to enhance the user's breasts, provide additional support and lift, and additional cleavage, as needed and desired by the user, while having a natural appearance, resilience, and appeal comparable to that of the user's breasts. The breast cups, breast covers, bras, and brassieres should be comfortable, attractive, easy to put on and remove from the user's breasts, long lasting, durable, inexpensive, quick, easy, and convenient to apply and remove from the user's breasts, easy and convenient to store when not in use, and of simple construction.